Alkalinization of local anesthesia with sodium bicarbonate--preferred method of local anesthesia

Effective anesthetic techniques include local anesthetic infiltration with or without sedation and general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is a safe and effective anesthetic technique, that when performed properly is applicable to many outpatient urologic procedures. We have found that the pain usually associated with intradermal injection of lidocaine is attenuated by the addition of sodium bicarbonate.